USS America September 1974

[bulldog]

Can't remember much of this trip, it being 46 years ago. Where does the time go???  1974 being memorable personally as A level year and start University year. 

However looking back in albums on 30th September I was invited to go to visit the USS America. Was moored at either Southampton or Portsmouth  and we needed a tender from the shore. Thats it for my memory. 

Few photos to bring back memories of good old USN aircraft.

IMG_8500 by Clyde Harden, on Flickr

IMG_8501 by Clyde Harden, on Flickr

IMG_8506 by Clyde Harden, on Flickr

IMG_8505 by Clyde Harden, on Flickr

IMG_8504 by Clyde Harden, on Flickr

IMG_8503 by Clyde Harden, on Flickr

IMG_8502 by Clyde Harden, on Flickr

IMG_8507 by Clyde Harden, on Flickr

IMG_8508 by Clyde Harden, on Flickr

IMG_8509 by Clyde Harden, on Flickr

[viscount]

Looking back in 'Flypast', the Merseyside Aviation Society ran a visit down to go aboard the U.S.S. America (CVA-66) having wangled an invitation to do so on Monday 30th September 1974. There was a list in the magazine of all 76 aircraft visible. The article does however state (confusingly) that the USS America was docked at Portsmouth, rather than (correctly) anchored there.

When I first looked through these pictures, I did wonder if there was some confusion as while some aircraft are marked 'AJ' USS America, the Phantoms are marked 'AC' USS Saratoga and others 'NH' USS Kittyhawk. All is explained by Flypast contributor "Cyclops" as USS America's usual two Phantom squadrons were ashore in the U.S. converting onto the F-14A Tomcat at the time. I'll not list all the serials and codes here (unless there is a demand to do so) but to give a flavour for the mix and numbers of aircraft on a major (but by no means the largest) U.S. carrier at that time, I'll list the units and types.

Unit    Name               Aircraft type   tail code   nose code batch    number embarked   comments

HC-2                       SH-3G Sea Kings                003 - 005             3
VF-213  "Black Lions"      F-4J Phantom       NH          100 - 111            10          USS Kittyhawk
VF-103  "Sluggers"         F-4J Phantom       AC          201 - 213            10          USS Saratoga
VA-82   "Marauders"        A-7C Corsair II    AJ          300 - 313            11
VA-86   "The Sidewinders"  A-7C Corsair II    AJ          400 - 413            11
VA-35   "Panthers"         A-6E Intruders     AJ          502 - 524            16          incl 2 x KA-6D and an A-6E coded '166'
VMCJ-2                     EA-6A Intruders    CY          611 - 612             4          US Marine Corps
RVAH-1  "Tigers"           RA-5C Vigilanties              601 - 603             3
VAW-126                    E-2B Hawkeye       AA          760 - 761             4
VRC-40 DET-1               C-1A Trader        CVA-66      763                   2  
                                                                        Total  76
Not all aircraft wore nose numbers, a few not noted, and not all numbers in a batch used - so the code range and number of aircraft don't match.

The mid '70s was a good period for US Carriers visiting the shores of the UK, a rather rare event nowadays. It was also a period of gloss paint with flamboyant tail schemes and markings - all very shortly after toned-down to matt finished dark grey on pale grey. I well recall driving a bitterly cold hire minibus down to Portsmouth on 24th October 1976 to enable a MAS trip to go out to the USS John F Kennedy (CV-67, tail code 'AB') anchored off Spithead with 83 aircraft embarked. Anyone else still recall Vampire spotting at 3am?

The late 70s was also the period we had two smaller US Marine carriers, USS Iwo Jima and USS Guadacanal moor alongside at Liverpool. See thread: derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/1790